Brummet's Conscious Blog

Organization & Downsizing Tips Organization and downsizing shows are very popular and as we look on with envy at their well managed belongings… Screws, bolts, picture hooks, plant hangers, curtain hooks, nails, small parts and hardware can quickly become a huge mess if they are not organized. Have you ever tried to find anything in that “junk drawer” or the bottom of the toolbox, where these items are typically thrown? Then in frustration, we take the extra time to head down to the hardware store to buy something we already had. The best way to store these items is in clear plastic, screw top containers – found for free simply by washing out those empty peanut butter or mayonnaise containers. We prefer the extra large containers with the wide lid, but smaller ones come in quite handy too. Because they are clear, we can see at a glance what they contain. Being plastic, they will not break or crack like glass would, and their contents do not make as much noise when the container...

 -- Quote of the Day --  "I try to treat each evening and weekend as little slices of retirement because no one is guaranteed a lengthy one at the end of their career." ~ Mike Hammar  -- Recommended Resource --  The Ocean River Institute , a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corp, helps people and groups make a difference where they live through environmental stewardship and science.  Many environmental issues are best addressed by people taking action in their own communities and regions, not by large, national entities.  However, localized or newly formed groups often need help to achieve their goals.  That’s where ORI comes in.  They maintain a network - connecting them with resources and services to help  maximize their impact, expand their capacity and weather unanticipated setbacks.  ORI Actions and Events offer opportunities to make a difference for environments ...

-- Quote of the Day --    “Critics are by no means the end of the law. Do not think all is over with you because your articles are rejected. It may be that the editor has his drawer full, or that he does not know enough to appreciate you, or you have not gained a reputation or that he is not in a mood to be pleased.”  ~ Lavina Goodell -- Brummet's In the Media -- Join me over at Ignite Your Productivity podcast radio show hosted by Cathy Sexton for a discussion offering tips on staying organized and the importance of follow up activities in the office. This prerecorded audio will be published on Thursday January 9th at 9:30 CT, and will be available on her site for you to access at your conveneince later on as well.  Visit either of these links: www.igniteyourproductivityradio.com -or-  www.awoptalk247.com   Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, their radio program, blog, and more at: ...

-- Fantastic Resources -- Today's recommended resources come from author Robert Williamson, founder of the Greenhouse Neutral Foundation. www.greeneducationnetwork.com http://lettersfrom2030.blogspot.com www.greenhouseneutral.net (Australia) www.greenhouseneutral.org (US) www.Sealthedeal2009.org www.350.org Check out Robert's book: Zero Greenhouse Emissions ... ebook @ www.elequentbooks.com & hardcover @: www.strategicbookpublishing.com Find Dave & Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows & free resources & articles at www.brummet.ca

-- Quote of the Day -- “… There are one billion adults in the world who cannot read at all… not even a simple sentence that involves things in their daily life – we want to help those adults learn new ways of farming or to learn how to take care of their children’s health. …The skills that people take away from school (in developed countries) are not matching the demand for the jobs available today. …So our standards have gone up here in Canada and the US, but the education has not. …We have designed the Literacy Bridge device so that it comes in four plastic pieces and a circuit board with 3 screws holding it together – we’ve made it so that someone in a very rural area can …develop a business and service these devices by swapping parts. …The content can come from large organizations far away… but really what is our focus is content that is created locally with local language. …These areas have no electricity, no running water, and very bad roads…That’s were we go, we find out who ar...

-- Conscious Discussions honors Literacy Week -- Today, we are featuring the Literacy Bridge Organization... Cliff Schmidt is the executive director for Literacy Bridge, a nonprofit organization empowering children and adults with affordable tools for knowledge sharing and literacy learning. Prior to founding Literacy Bridge, Cliff ran a successful open source consulting business, specializing in intellectual property issues, nonprofit governance and community development. He has served many nonprofit organizations, such as the Eclipse Foundation and The Apache Software Foundation, where he was elected as a board director and appointed vice president of legal affairs. Cliff received his undergraduate degree from MIT and his M.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Washington. Literacy Bridge is a nonprofit organization tackling illiteracy head-on through the development and deployment of innovative new technology. Their Talking Book Device, a low-cost digital aud...

-- Quote of the Day -- "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. -- Positive Eco-News -- According to the Japan for Sustainability newsletter (www.japanfs.org), two bordering communities in southern Japan were chosen as a the world’s largest demonstration site for the residential application of hydrogen energy fuel cells. These communities are expected to reduce energy consumption and pollution by 30%. -- Busy Mid Feb -- Feb 15-23 is the BC Women’s Institute week here in Canada ... & the 19th is Heritage Day ... Whew ! A lot going on this week :) -- Conscious Discussions -- Today's broadcast on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show featured the founder of the Experience Project Organization - Armen Berjikly (BUR - JICK - LEE ). This is a wonderful organization that provides hope, inspiration, companionship and support to members. Armen is passionate about building technology that connects peo...

-- Quote of the Day -- “…We would not be alive today without our volunteers. We have about 500 volunteers… putting in almost 18,000 hours of work into the marsh… so we are basically double our staff components; they do everything around here from maintenance, to education programs to stuffing envelopes… we have a wide range of volunteers, even someone that just comes and cleans. …We need help, and we will train you – but most of the work is grunt work.” ~ Laurie Shutt 07/27/08 The power of the individual to create a healthy, sustainable and conscious community is limitless. Volunteers are the strength of our nation and are behind every rally, every fundraiser, every school event, every community event, sport event... they are everywhere. You will find them in museums, schools, libraries, senior centers, women's centers and virtually anywhere really. There are others, as well, who "volunteer" behind the scenes with small supportive actions here & there in their daily ...